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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · shower · jam · pass · stem · row · hide · lean

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. shower — to wash
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pass — a permit
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lean — thin
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com